Sherman McNeil September 16th 2011 Sustainability Problems
Hydraulic Fracturing is Fracturing Local Communities
Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of natural gas extrusion. Although fracking has been around for nearly half a century in the last five year it’s experienced wide spread growth in North America. This is due to the recent discovery of Marcellus shale located in New York, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Since this discovery approximately 3500 fracking wells have been constructed every year since. This growth is expected to continue for the next decade.The process of fracking consist of boring a hole roughly 4,000 to 8,000 feet below the surface of the earth, then turning the well, so it’s parallel to the surf ace and drilling laterally about 1,000 to 5,000 feet.Once the well is complete Primer charges are set and small cracks are blown in the lateral portion of the well.The final step in the fracking process is to then pump fracking fluid (a cocktail of water, sand, and chemicals) into the well to spread the cracks and allow the natural gas which is contained in the shale to escape. This pushes most of the fracking fluid back through the well to the surface where the gas and the fluid are contained and separated. There are many health risks associated with the process. Including; the release of radioactive material contained deep within the earth, the release of toxic chemicals in local aquifers, and difficulties managing the waste water after it has returned to the surface.Thousands of feet below the earth’s surface there are numerous corrosive salts and other toxic hazards including radioactive Radium. Once the waste water is returned to the surface it needs to be handled like radioactive waste. Unfortunately, it’s shipped off to treatment plants, many of which are not equipped to treat the water for radioactivity. Aconfidential study was conducted by the drilling industry, and was leaked to the EPA. This study concluded that radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways. However, these radioactive materials are not the only toxic substance being release into this once idyllic environment. Many gas company’s contest that the chemicals they use are within regulations and only a fraction of the fluid is non-organic. Nevertheless, analysts have found that roughly 5 million gallons are used for each well; this would result in tens of thousands of chemicals such as benzene, toluene, zylene and ethylbenzene to be pumped into the ground. Once the fracking fluid is returned to the surface via the natural gas it is stored in manmade ponds. These ponds have thick liners designed to contain the waste but there have been numerous occasion that the fluid over flows into neighboring ponds and grasslands. In these instances all life is destroyed and all that is left is a toxic sludge that citizens have to contend with. With many more fracking wells slated for construction over the next decade these accidental spill will become more predominant. In this day in age, the quest for energy has driven us to wonder whether or not the cost of losing natural landscapes is worth the thousands of dollars that citizens are offered for mineral rights to their land. Although natural gas companies argue that the situations where accidents occur are rare, they will only become more prevalent with time. These are only a few hazards that come with fracking. There are many more consequences that go along with this form of gas retrieval. I feel that it’s important for people to educate themselves of the dangers of fracking and question whether or not the possible loss of clean tap water as well as the toxic exposure is worth the risks.
Wiseman, Hannah J., Untested Waters: The Rise of Hydraulic Fracturing in Oil and Gas Production and the Need to Revisit Regulation (September 23, 2008). Fordham Environmental Law Review, Vol. 20, p. 115, 2009. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1595092
Sherman McNeil September 16th 2011
Sustainability Problems
Hydraulic Fracturing is Fracturing Local Communities
Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of natural gas extrusion. Although fracking has been around for nearly half a century in the last five year it’s experienced wide spread growth in North America. This is due to the recent discovery of Marcellus shale located in New York, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Since this discovery approximately 3500 fracking wells have been constructed every year since. This growth is expected to continue for the next decade.The process of fracking consist of boring a hole roughly 4,000 to 8,000 feet below the surface of the earth, then turning the well, so it’s parallel to the surf ace and drilling laterally about 1,000 to 5,000 feet.Once the well is complete Primer charges are set and small cracks are blown in the lateral portion of the well.The final step in the fracking process is to then pump fracking fluid (a cocktail of water, sand, and chemicals) into the well to spread the cracks and allow the natural gas which is contained in the shale to escape. This pushes most of the fracking fluid back through the well to the surface where the gas and the fluid are contained and separated.
There are many health risks associated with the process. Including; the release of radioactive material contained deep within the earth, the release of toxic chemicals in local aquifers, and difficulties managing the waste water after it has returned to the surface.Thousands of feet below the earth’s surface there are numerous corrosive salts and other toxic hazards including radioactive Radium. Once the waste water is returned to the surface it needs to be handled like radioactive waste. Unfortunately, it’s shipped off to treatment plants, many of which are not equipped to treat the water for radioactivity. Aconfidential study
was conducted by the drilling industry, and was leaked to the EPA. This study concluded that radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways. However, these radioactive materials are not the only toxic substance being release into this once idyllic environment.
Many gas company’s contest that the chemicals they use are within regulations and only a fraction of the fluid is non-organic. Nevertheless, analysts have found that roughly 5 million gallons are used for each well; this would result in tens of thousands of chemicals such as benzene, toluene, zylene and ethylbenzene to be pumped into the ground.
Once the fracking fluid is returned to the surface via the natural gas it is stored in manmade ponds. These ponds have thick liners designed to contain the waste but there have been numerous occasion that the fluid over flows into neighboring ponds and grasslands. In these instances all life is destroyed and all that is left is a toxic sludge that citizens have to contend with. With many more fracking wells slated for construction over the next decade these accidental spill will become more predominant.
In this day in age, the quest for energy has driven us to wonder whether or not the cost of losing natural landscapes is worth the thousands of dollars that citizens are offered for mineral rights to their land. Although natural gas companies argue that the situations where accidents occur are rare, they will only become more prevalent with time. These are only a few hazards that come with fracking. There are many more consequences that go along with this form of gas retrieval. I feel that it’s important for people to educate themselves of the dangers of fracking and question whether or not the possible loss of clean tap water as well as the toxic exposure is worth the risks.
Works Cited
Corcoran, Patrick. "Water Supplies Endangered by Radioactive Materials From Fracking." New York Times. 28 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.fairwarning.org/2011/02/water-supplies-endangered-by-radioactive-materials-from-fracking/>.
NAVARRO, MIREYA. "Before Release, a Hydraulic Fracturing Study for the State Draws Skepticism." New York Times. 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.crusadeguild.eu/2011/09/03/before-release-a-hydraulic-fracturing-study-for-the-state-draws-skepticism-new-york-times/>.
URBINA, IAN. "Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers." New York Times. 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/us/27gas.html>.
Wiseman, Hannah J., Untested Waters: The Rise of Hydraulic Fracturing in Oil and Gas Production and the Need to Revisit Regulation (September 23, 2008). Fordham Environmental Law Review, Vol. 20, p. 115, 2009. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1595092